‘Tangerine Protest’ Ends as Trucks Unblock Border

Dozens of trucks blocking a border crossing point between Russia?s North Ossetia and Georgia?s breakaway South Ossetia unclogged the highway and returned to Tskhinvali on January 9.

About 60 trucks loaded with mandarin oranges were blocking the border crossing point at Nizhny-Zaramag in North Ossetia for the past five days after being barred from entering the Russian Federation. A Russian ban on imports of Georgian agricultural products has been in force for over a year.

Georgian media sources reported that the trucks returned to Tskhinvali after law enforcers in North Ossetia arrested three protesters. Russian agencies reported that the three persons were only interrogated.

Truck drivers and owners of the tangerines, mainly Russian citizens from Georgia?s breakaway South Ossetian region, bought mandarin oranges in western Georgia with the intention to sell them in Russia?s North Ossetia, where tangerine prices have reportedly doubled this winter.

The South Ossetian merchants apparently hoped that the Russian ban would not have apply to them, as they hold Russian passports and were trying to enter Russia through the Roki Tunnel, which is not under the control of the Georgian authorities.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)